The sky was still barely light when Frodeku was woken up by his biological clock. He had always gotten up at this time to do things on the pirate ship, making him the earliest riser. Frodeku walked to Vic's side, and the sound of his footsteps startled Vic awake.
"Why are you up so early? How's it like being in the navy?" Vic asked with a smile.
"I'm used to waking up early, and I feel very fulfilled on the warship. I like this feeling!" Frodeku replied earnestly.
"That's good. I was worried you wouldn't be used to life in the navy. This voyage will last about five months, which will give you plenty of time to build a solid foundation!"
"I'm so used to it. There's food and drink here, all I need to do is train and get stronger. This is a life I could never have imagined before!"
"Hehe, it's alright. This is still during the training period. If my strength really becomes powerful, I won't even need to train anymore. I'm currently working towards that goal!"
"Captain! You're already this strong, aren't you considered a strongman?"
"Of course not. I'm at most a top-tier third-rate player right now. There are still many people above me who are holding me back, so I dare not slack off at all, just to step into that realm as soon as possible!"
"Then I'm miles behind, I must work hard to catch up with the captain!"
"You possess Observation Haki, which allows you to foresee the Future Sight, giving you a significant advantage over me from the start. I began training at the age of ten, without fail, and have been doing so for seven years now. I believe it won't take you seven more years to reach my current level. Keep training diligently!"
Vic and Frodeku talked a lot, Vic introducing many common-sense facts and secrets about the ocean, as well as some amazing places on the sea, which greatly surprised Frodeku. He realized that his eyesight had been poor before, and he had missed a lot of things. After Vic told him, he realized that he had really been living a muddled life.
As the others on the warship gradually got up, the training on the warship returned to normal. Vic and Ain still sat side by side, like two statues.
" Vic, I just got a call from Sengoku at Sengoku. He said something happened to Garp on his way back from his mission in the New World!" Zephyr said meaningfully as he approached Vic.
"Oh, what could have happened to old man Garp? Did he fall asleep at the bow and fall into the sea, and they haven't found him yet?" Vic opened his eyes and asked curiously. Zephyr had told him this, so it was obviously related to him, but he still joked.
"Hehe, Garp did fall into the sea while sleeping before, but this time it's not about that, it's about you!" Zephyr laughed.
"What does it have to do with me? What does it have to do with me?"
" Garp heard that you were injured by Sakazuki at headquarters, so when he passed by the G-1 Branch, he beat Sakazuki up, saying he was going to avenge you."
Sakazuki got a huge bump on his head from being punched. Sengoku told me to tell you that Garp has already avenged you, so don't go looking for trouble with Sakazuki anymore. An eye for an eye only makes the whole world go round!
Zephyr relayed Sengoku's words, saying that Sengoku was extremely concerned about the stability of the navy, even going so far as to pluck a feather from a seagull that flew by, making use of everything.
"Then I got beaten up by old man Garp for nothing. That incident had already been resolved, but Sakazuki stirred it up again. I'm not strong enough to beat him right now. I'll go after him when I'm stronger!"
Vic's revenge against Akainu wasn't solely about getting back at him; he wasn't that naive. If there was an irreconcilable grudge, he would have killed him outright.
Akainu's previous bullying of the weak gave Vic an excuse, a reason to continuously undermine his prestige. If Vic defeats Akainu with the rank of Vice Admiral or Rear Admiral, how will Akainu have the face to compete for the Fleet Admiral position? At that time, the Navy under Aokiji's command may be in a different state.
"I'm just relaying a message. I won't interfere with what you do. Of course, Sengoku was speaking in a persuasive tone; it wasn't a forceful order. You can handle it yourself!"
"Yes, I understand, teacher."
Honestly, Vic was truly grateful to Mr. Garp. He had always been considerate of him, helping and protecting him behind the scenes. Few people would do such a thing, even though they were not related to him. He treated Mr. Garp like a younger generation. Vic decided to help Garp find a companion in his old age so that he could enjoy family life.
In the afternoon, the warships had entered the island's magnetic field range, and there were more seagulls in the sky. So Zephyr stopped training, and the trainees had some free time, gathering in small groups to talk about what to buy after arriving on the island.
" Frodeku, later Barnett will take you to the island to get a suitable pair of glasses, and buy you some clothes to wear normally. Just tell him if you need anything, don't worry about the money!" Rebecca and the others were also gathered around Vic.
"I'll go with you, I want to buy some things too!" Wendy said. Vic nodded, not minding; women tend to have more troubles than men.
"Look, we can already see the outline of the island!" Rebecca said excitedly. They had been sailing at sea for several days. Although the people of this world were used to the vastness of the sea, they still had an unspoken longing for the land.
"This island must be a small one. It doesn't look very big. I wonder how many goods it has!" Barnett analyzed, looking at the island's silhouette.
"Islands like this are the favorite haunts of pirates because they lack organized armed forces to protect them, making them even more unscrupulous. Be careful when you get on the island!" Vic warned.
This island is very similar to his hometown. There is no kingdom ruling the island, and the power is relatively dispersed. It is impossible to integrate all the armed forces on the island, so the resistance to pirate raids is much weaker.
" Vic, aren't you going to the island?" Rebecca, a little disappointed. Ain looked at Vic with some anticipation. This was Ain's first time leaving the mainland, and for such a long time at that. It was already quite remarkable that a child her age didn't cry or make a fuss.
"We'll see when the time comes. Even if I don't go, you guys can come along. With your abilities, there shouldn't be any danger."
Vic possesses Observation Haki, allowing him to cover the entirety of this small island. If he encounters something that interests him, he will go and investigate.
"Yes, there are very few exceptionally strong individuals in the first half of the Grand Line. We shouldn't be unlucky enough to encounter someone of the Beasts Pirates' caliber again. We'll be safe!"
Barnett also said that this analysis is correct. The first half of the Grand Line is an area where people don't even know what Haki is, and most people rely on the abilities of Devil Fruit to get away with it.
A few people have other talents, such as strength or swordsmanship, but most of those who can make a name for themselves are Devil Fruit users. Only in the New World can those who survived but are not Devil Fruit User shine. Of course, most of the strong people on the sea are still Devil Fruit User, so they have taken a shortcut.
Vic looked at Barnett with some oddity, wondering if this guy had also Awakening some strange attribute. Last time, he summoned Kaido with just one sentence, though that was because he was tricked by Queen. But Barnett's words were also perfectly timed. Zoro has a terrible sense of direction, so could Barnett have Karasu attribute? This time, we should be able to confirm it.
As the warship approached, the island became clearer. There were no large forests on the island, only occasional groves of trees scattered around, but the trees were all less than five meters tall. Some winding rivers were distributed throughout the island, eventually converging and flowing into the sea. It was clear that there were no large wild animals on the island. The temperature around the island was very comfortable, neither too hot nor too cold, making it a good place for a vacation.
"Look at that dock over there, isn't there a pirate ship moored there?" It was Wendy who spoke; she was a sniper, so her eyesight was better.